Segmented blank feeding rolls for envelope forming machine



I W. STUTZ Oct. 14, 1969 SEGMENTED BLANK FEEDING ROLLS FOR ENVELOPEFORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAMSTUTZ mir ATTORNEYS Oct. 14, 1969 N w. STUTZ 3,472,505

SEGMENTED BLANK FEEDING ROLLS FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept.20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,472,505 SEGMENTED BLANKFEEDING ROLLS FOR ENVELOPE FORMING MACHINE William Stutz, Springfield,Mass, assignor to United States Envelope Company, Springfield, Mass, acorporation of Maine Filed Sept. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 669,236 Int. Cl.B65h 5/06 U.S. Cl. 271-2 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Two sets ofsegmented rolls are mounted in longitudinally spaced relation to feedenvelope blanks to an adhesive applying device. The first set is oflarger diameter than the second set, and includes three rolls havingblank engaging segments for successively engaging the envelope blank.The second set of segmented rolls turns at the same angular speed, andthe blank engaging segments thereof engage the blank to decelerate itprior to contact with the adhesive applying device.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION This invention relates to mechanisms for feedingflat blanks to a machine station where the speed of the blanks must bereduced, and deals more particularly with a mechanism for deceleratingenvelope blanks prior to feeding said blanks past a rotary adhesiveapplying device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism capable ofmoving accurately indexed blanks at a relatively high speed, and also ofdecelerating said blanks for movement past a rotary adhesive applyingdevice having a maximum speed which is limited by the tendency of theadhesive to be thrown off as a result of centrifugal force or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism of theforegoing character wherein segmented rolls are employed for advancingand decelerating blanks of various size, the size falling within upperand lower limits of size determined by the various physical dimensionsof parts of the machine, such as the spacing between rolls, diameters ofthe rolls, etc., the spacing between the rolls being not less than thelongitudinal dimension between the top and bottom scores of the smallestblanks which are to be processed by the mechanism.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanismof the foregoing character wherein the segmented rolls are soconstructed that blanks of various lateral dimension can be accommodatedin a machine embodying the present invention.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention and suchembodiment will be described, but it will be understood that variouschanges may be made from the construction disclosed, and that thedrawings and description are not to be construed as defining or limitingthe scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of thisspecification being relied upon for that purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective View of theportion of an envelope forming machine in which a mechanism of thepresent invention resides, and includes a rotary adhesive applyingdevice of a presently preferred type.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the segmented rolls shown in FIG.1, together with the rotary adhesive applying device.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the segmented tolls androtary adhesive applying device at a slightly later instant of time.

3,472,505 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 DETAllED DESCRIPTION Referring now tothe drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a machine forforming envelopes of various size. Envelope blanks B, B are fedlongitudinally in the direction of the arrow 10 along a generally flatconveyor which may comprise a plurality of cylindrical rolls 12, 12rotatably supported in the fixed frame of the machine (not shown). Therolls 12, 12 are preferably driven at a peripheral speed correspondingto that of the segments of split feed rolls 14, 14 and 16, 16 to bediscussed in greater detail hereinbelow, and to the peripheral speed ofan associated adhesive applying device 15. The rotary adhesive applyingdevice 15 is preferably provided among the downstream set of segmentedrolls 16, 16 and this device may take any of a variety of forms, butpreferably is constructed in accordance with the disclosure of acopending US. patent application, entitled Rotary Adhesive ApplyingDevice for Envelope Forming Machine filed June 30, 1967, under Ser. No.650,332. Basically, the rotary adhesive applying device comprises a pairof circular end discs carried on a pair of stub shafts 28, 28respectively. A sheet member of resilient material is wrapped around thecircumferences of the end discs and releasably secured thereto bysuitable means, and said sheet carries two sets of applicator pads 34,34 for applying a coating of adhesive to selective portions of theblanks conveyed therepast.

The blanks are indexed with respect to one another prior to being fedbetween the upstream set of rolls 14, 14 and their respective backuprolls 12, 12. Each of the split segmented feed rolls 14, 14 is carriedon a stub shaft 18 so that all of these rolls are movable toward andaway from one another as a result of movement of the housings 20 (shownat the far side of the mechanism only), in a direction perpendicular tothe path of movement 10 of the envelope blanks. While any suitable meansmight be adapted for slidably supporting the housings 20 a fixed way 22preferably extends transversely across the path of movement .of theblanks for slidably receiving a T-shaped support 24 connected at itslower end to the housing and adapted to be slidably received on the way22. A lead screw 26 is rotated by crank means (not shown) so that thesegmented and split feed rolls 14, 14 can be prepositioned laterally forproducing envelopes of any convenient lateral dimension. The lead screw26 preferably includes a left-hand threaded end portion and a right-handthreaded end portion for moving two such housings 20, 20 toward and awayfrom one another, and in unison with one another. The housing at thenear side of the machine, as viewed in FIG. 1, has been omitted forclarity. Finally, an input drive shaft 27 located alongside the leadscrew 26 is preferably connected through suitable gearing (not shown) inthe housings 20, 20, to split feed rolls 14, 14. The split segmentedfeed rolls 16, 16 are similarly driven by means identical to that justdescribed. It is an important feature of the present invention that bothsets of segmented split rolls 14, 14 and 16, 16 are driven at the sameconstant angular speed so as always to remain in the same relativeangular positions with respect to one another as that depicted in FIG.1.

Turning now to a detailed description of the two sets of segmented feedrolls 14 and 16, it will be apparent from FIG. 1 that all of said feedrolls are rotatably supported about axes located in longitudinallyspaced relation along the path of movement of the envelope blanks,indicated by the arrow 10. More particularly, the first or upstream setof rolls includes at least one roll (14a in FIG.

2) located furthest downstream in said first set which has a blankengaging segment less than 180, and in fact less than 90 incircumferential extent. The circumferential extent of the blank engagingsegment on segmented rolls 14a, 1; and c and 16a, b, c, d and e must benot less than the distance A between axes of rotation of adjacent rolls.From a comparison of the longitudinal dimension of the envelope blank B,and the longitudinal distance between this downstream roll 14a and thefurthest upstream roll in the second or downstream set of rolls (16a inFIG. 2) it will be apparent that these adjacent segmented rolls 14a and16a have their respective axes of rotation spaced longitudinally fromone another by a distance A significantly less than the longitudinaldimension of the blank B. That is, the smallest blank it is possible toprocess being that in which the longitudinal dimension from top score tobottom score is equal to dis tance A.

In further accordance with the present invention, at least two of theupstream rolls in said first set have blank engaging segments less than90 in circumferential extent so that the circumferential extent of therolls in said first set is substantially equal to that of the'roll 14a.Preferably these blank engaging segments are so disposed angularly withrespect to one another that each in turn engages a blank to feed ittherepast as best shown in a comparison of the right-hand portions ofFIGS. 2 and 3. It is noted that the said two rolls 14a and 14b in saidfirst or upstream set are out of engagement with the blank B when thefurthest upstream segmented roll 16a in the second or downstream set isin engagement there with, as indicated in FIG. 5.

In further accordance with the present invention at least two of thesegmented rolls in the downstream set have blank engaging segments lessthan 120 in circumferential extent so that these rolls have acircumferential extent no less than the distance A between the axes ofrotation of adjacent rolls in said downstream set. More particularly,the two segmented rolls furthest upstream in said second set 16a and 16bhave their respective blank engaging portions so disposed angularly withrespect to one another that each in turn engages a blank to feed ittherepast. These two rolls 16a and 16b can be seen from FIGS. 2 through5 to be out of engagement with a blank when the two segmented rollsfurthest downstream in the first set are in engagement with such blank.As will be apparent from the description to follow, this is an importantfeature of the present invention since all of the rolls 14, 14 and 16,16 rotate at the same angular speed, but are of such relative diametersthat the peripheral speed of the upstream set 14, 14 is greater than thespeed of the downstream set 16, 16 in direct proportion to thedifference in their diameters.

Thus it is an important feature of the present invention that theupstream set of segmented rolls 14, 14 advance the envelope blanksthereunder in accurately indexed relation and at relatively high speed,and that the downstream set of segmented rolls 16, 16 act on the blanksbeing successively advanced thereto so as to decelerate the blanks to alower speed for gluing by the rotary adhesive applying device 15. Asmentioned hereinabove, the backup rolls 12, 12 associated with the segmented rolls 14, 14 and 16, 16 are continuously driven at an appropriatespeed for cooperating with their associated rolls to accomplish theabove deceleration. In FIG. 2, the third segmented roll 140 in the firstor upstream set of such rolls has the leading edge of its segment incontact with the bottom score line on an envelope blank B, and the nextsucceeding segmented roll 1412 has its segment so arranged with respectto that of the roll 140 so that the leading edge of its segment engagesthe same score line as the roll 14c loses contact with the blank B asshown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4 the blank B is then engaged by thefurthest downstream roll 14a in the second or upstream set of segmentedrolls,

and it is noted that the leading edge of the segment of the roll 14aalso engages the bottom score line of the envelope blank B at this time.It is an important feature of the present invention that these rolls140, 1411, and 14a engage in turn the bottom score line of the envelopeblanks B, B. It will be apparent that this result obtains in spite ofvariations in the size of the blanks, and depends only on the indexingof the blanks.

FIG. 5 shows the segmented roll 14a as it loses contact with the blankB, and it is a feature of the present invention that the furthestupstream roll 16a in the downstream or second set of segmented rollscontacts the envelope blank B at precisely the same time that the largersegmented roll 14a loses contact therewith. Thus, the blanks aredecelerated without destroying the above described indexed relationshiptherebetween. That is, the bottom score lines of the respective blanksare moved closer to one another in a ratio determined by the diametersof the rolls 14, 14 and 16, 16.

Considering now FIG. 2, the second segmented roll 16b, of the smallerset of rolls located downstream of the larger rolls 14a, [2 and c, nowcontacts the blank B so as to feed the blank past the adhesive applyingdevice 15. It is noted that at this point in time the blanks B, Bbeneath the device 15 are slightly overlapped with respect to oneanother, but that the adhesive applying pads 34, 34 do not contact theblank B until this overlapped region has passed beneath the adhesiveapplying device 15, as can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3.The adhesive applying pad 34 coats a predetermined portion of the blankB with adhesive but an auxiliary roll 15a actually advances the blankpast the device 15. Two such rolls 15a, 15a are provided one at eitherend of the device 15 in the same vertical plane with the axes associatedwith the device 15 and the backup roll 12 therebelow. These rolls 15a,15a adjust laterally with their associated housings 20, 20. FIG. 5 showsthat as the pad 34 'moves out of engagement with the blank B a segmentedroll 160 contacts the bottom score line of the blank for feeding theblank away from the adhesive applying device 15. Segmented rolls 16d,and 16a downstream of the adhesive applying device 15 serve to feed theblanks B, B to the next succeeding station in the envelope formingmachine and it will be apparent that another set of rolls, such as thosedescribed hereinabove with respect to 14a, 14b, and 140, might be usedto speed up the blanks B, B to some higher speed if the next succeedingmachine station will permit such a speed increase.

I claim:

1. Mechanism for handling flat blanks and for decelerating said blanksas they are fed longitudinally in their own plane, said mechanismcomprising first and second sets of blank feeding rolls all of which arerotatably supported about roll axes located in longitudinally spacedrelation along the path of movement of said blanks, said first set ofrolls being disposed upstream of said second set, said first set ofrolls having at least two downstream rolls which have blank engagingsegments less than in circumferential extent, and at least two rolls insaid second set having blank engaging segments less than 120 incircumferential extent, said segmented rolls in said first and secondsets having their respective blank engaging segments so disposedangularly with respect to one another that a blank being fed from oneset of rolls to the other contacts only one of said segmented rolls atany one time, said segmented rolls in said first set having theirrespective axes spaced longitudinally from one another by a distance nogreater than the longitudinal dimension of the minimum size blank, saidblank engaging segments having a lineal measure at least equal to saiddistance between said respective axes, and all of said rolls having thesame constant angular speed, said first set being of larger diameterthan said second set so that the blanks are decelerated upon engagementwith said rolls in said second set.

2. Mechanism according to claim 1 including continuously driven backuprolls for all of said segmented rolls in both sets, each of said backuprolls being rotated at a speed corresponding to that of its associatedsegmented roll.

3. Mechanism according to claim 2 wherein three segmented rolls areprovided in said first set, each of said blank engaging segments havinga circumferential extent of less than 90", said segmented rolls in saidsecond set having a circumferential extent of less than 120.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3 wherein each of said segmented rollsin both sets are provided with axially spaced end portions which definesaid blank engaging segments, said segments thereby engaging only themarginal side edges of said blanks.

5. Mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said axially spaced endportions of said segmented rolls are movable toward and away from oneanother to accommodate blanks of various widths, and an adhesiveapplying rotary device downstream of said two segmented rolls in saidsecond set for coating predetermined portions of said deceleratedblanks.

6. Mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said second set of segmentedrolls includes at least two rolls downstream of said rotary adhesiveapplying device, said last-mentioned rolls having blank engagingsegments less than 120 in circumferential extent, and said segmentsbeing so disposed angularly with respect to one another that each inturn engages a coated blank to feed it therei in phase with the twosegmented rolls upstream of said device whereby blanks are fed to saiddevice at the same speed that they are conveyed away from said device.

7. Mechanism according to claim 6 wherein each segmented roll endportion is mounted on a stub shaft extending laterally outwardlytherefrom, and means for driving all of said stub shafts at saidconstant angular speed.

8. Mechanism according to claim 1 wherein each of said segmented rollsin both sets are provided with axially spaced end portions which definesaid blank engaging segments, said segments thereby engaging only themarginal sides edges of said blanks.

9. Mechanism according to claim 8 wherein said axially spaced endportions of said segmented. rolls are movable toward and away from oneanother to accommodate blanks of various widths, and an adhesiveapplying rotary device downstream of said two segmented rolls in saidsecond set for coating predetermined portions of said deceleratedblanks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,951,408 9/1960 Novick 198-167RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2715l

